Is Dakota Fanning too young for her Cosmo cover?

Actress Dakota Fanning on the cover of the February's issue of "Cosmopolitan" magazine

Hearst

(CBS) Dakota Fanning is Cosmopolitan's February cover girl and the 17-year-old actress' appearance on the magazine next to headlines like "His Best Sex Ever" and "Too Naughty to Say Here" is causing quite the stir.

This is not the first time the teen actress has gotten flack. Critics have said the teen is inappropriately sexualized. Last month her ad for the Marc Jacobs fragrance "Oh, Lola!" -- which shows her with an oversized fragrance bottle placed in-between her legs -- was banned in the U.K.

Inside February's Cosmo it was this topic of coming of age that was the subject of her interview, which was titled "Welcome to Your Cosmo Years, Dakota" (the starlet turns 18 next month). The story looks at the child actress-turned teen's evolution.

Despite all the fuss, Fanning seems very confident in who she is, telling the magazine, "Since I was young I've always known who I was. I never really had to go through finding who I am. I've always felt really secure."